The Spirit, The Girl, And The Elf
by HermioneG7
Summary: [The Santa Clause movies] A group of children's christmas spirit is crushed when the two parents start to fight. Bernard, being 1 elf and all, is sent down to help them by Santa.
1. Default Chapter

Introduction:  
  
Christmas used to be a wonderful time of the year for the Andies family. Ever since the two parents decided to hate each other nothing ever went right. They bought small fake tress every year instead of going to buy a real one. Viviane (Vivs) was now the only one who bothered to put ornaments on. They no longer went caroling. True, they got as much presents as the next kid, but now that everything else was gone they didn't seem to matter that much.  
  
Viviane's two twin brothers, who were six, even stopped believing in Santa. They say it's because they were two old, but Viviane knew the real reason. Every Christmas they'd ask Santa to bring their parents back together, but nothing ever happened. Not even Vivs seemed to believe in him anymore.  
  
Well, Vivaine was sixteen, and usually by that age kids stopped believing. But her mind worked different. She believed Santa was more of a Christmas miracle worker of some sort, and since her wishes never came true, her Christmas spirit seemed to die.  
  
"This is not good, Santa." said Bernard one Thanksgiving.  
  
"I know. She was such a nice girl. They're a nice family. Those parents have really ruined their holidays and they don't even realize it." said Santa. They were sitting down to talk about it with Curtis, the number two elf, trying to figure out what to do.  
  
"Well, I have been trying to make a plan ever since those kids' wishes started arriving."  
  
"And what plan is that?" said Curtis, staring at Santa intensively.  
  
"I was thinking we should send one of our elves down there to spread a little magic." said Santa proudly. Curtis immediately jumped from his chair and bows to Santa.  
  
"That is a most wonderful idea. I would be glad to take the job."  
  
Santa laughed, and Bernard rolled his eyes. "That's very kind of you, but I was thinking of sending Bernard." Curtis's mouth fell open.  
  
"What a minute. You want to send me down there? But what about my job here?" said Bernard, and Curtis began to smile again. "I'll take it over!" he said.  
  
"No way!" said Bernard. "Santa, I can't do it. I have too much work here!"  
  
Santa leaned over to Bernard with a grin and whispered, "Look, Curtis came take over your duties for a while. It's not like I'll give him the job. There's no way he'll get your job after you do something like this." he winked, and leaned back and saw Curtis quickly move back to his seat after eavesdropping.  
  
Bernard sighed. "I guess your right, Santa. Oh all right I'll do it."  
  
"Please to hear it. Curtis, you can fulfill his duties while he's gone. I'm trusting you on this." Santa said, giving Curtis a look.  
  
"I'll do my best sir." said Curtis, smiling smugly at Bernard. Bernard gave him a look back and then whispered to Santa, "You better be right about him not getting my job."  
  
"Trust me." he said, patting the head-elf on the shoulder.  
  
*  
  
Santa pulled down the map along the wall in the small room and slapped a long stick onto an area of it. Bernard even jumped a little at the loud sound of it.  
  
"You are here." he said, his stick slapping the area of the North Pole. "The Andies live here." this time he slapped the stick on the area of Massachusetts. Bernard nodded.  
  
"How long do you think it will take you to restore the Christmas spirit in this house?"  
  
"Depends on the children." said Bernard.  
  
"We have one month until Christmas. If you don't succeed this year, you'll have to keep trying for next year. I'd say you should leave tonight and try to get the kids on your side of the fence, then after you do that maybe you'll be able to continue your mission a little easier."  
  
"What if they don't want me to leave?" pointed out Bernard. "I mean, there's two six year olds in there that probably would want to keep an elf."  
  
"Good point." said Santa, shifting to a thinking position. "I'd say just work with Vivs then. She can maybe work with her brothers a little easier. She's sixteen, right?"  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
"Hmmmm...." he started to stroke his beard. "Yes. I'd say work with the girl. Then maybe you can work with her brothers and see what happens.......Do you think that will work?"  
  
"Look Santa, I want to help the family as much as you do, but I can't abandon the elves! What if they need my help? Curtis won't be able to help them!"  
  
"I'm sure Curtis will do just fine."  
  
*  
  
"Get back to work! What are you doing? Get back to painting! Christmas is in a month people! Get to work!" Curtis was yelling over the noise of hammers and murmurs of the elves. He stood tall and looked proudly around the room. Then he chuckled. "I've got Bernard's job. HEY, you, yeah you, get back to work!"  
  
*  
  
Bernard looked at Santa uncertainly. "All right. I'll see what I can do. Just don't let that Curtis invent something else that'll try to ruin Christmas." he looked at Santa seriously, but Santa only laughed.  
  
"I don't think he'll try anything like that ever again."  
  
"Santa."  
  
"Bernard."  
  
"Santa!"  
  
"Bernard!"  
  
"SANTA!"  
  
"All right. I'll keep an eye on the elf, and I'll get Carol to watch him as well."  
  
Bernard let out a sigh of relief. "All right. But I'm still not very happy about having to leave."  
  
"Relax! You'll be able to come back whenever you want. You can flip back and forth from one place to another, can'' you?""  
  
"Yeah." he said, almost carelessly.  
  
"Bernard, I know you'll be able to help Vivs. Why do you think I want you to go? You're my number one elf! Don't forget that."  
  
Bernard smiled a bit. "All right all right! I'll go. But if you need me you know how to contact me."  
  
Santa grinned as he lifted his arm to show a brand new watch Bernard had made, where the two could communicate when they were in two different places and one of them was needed. Bernard had one too.  
  
"Well, best on my way." he said.  
  
"Knock 'em dead!" Santa said, then he waved as Bernard disappeared into sparkly snow-looking dust. 


	2. November Part One

November Part One  
  
"Vivs, tell us a story." begged Tim, one of Vivaine's six-year-old twin brothers.  
  
"I'm too tired." Viviane complained, rubbing her eyes.  
  
"Oh, come on." he said, climbing into her lap.  
  
"All right, all right." she said, letting David, the other twin crawl up next to her on the couch.  
  
They were all in the living room next to the fake Christmas tree that still didn't have any decorations on it.  
  
"Tell us the one about the elf!" exclaimed Tim. Vivaine smiled.  
  
"Ok. Once upon a time there was one Christmas where everything was going late. There was only one month until Christmas and the elves still had a lot of work to do. There was a clumsy elf named-" Vivaine stopped, because there was suddenly a horrendous crash out on the porch.  
  
"What was that?" aked David, who started to tremble.  
  
"Stay- just stay right here. I'll go see what happened."  
  
The sixteen year-old girl bravely rose from the couch and headed through the kitchen to the porch door. As she opened the door the wild wind that suddenly blew their way caused her shoulder length blonde hair to whip wildly around her. She shielding her face with her hand from the cold wind and stepped outside. She heard someone move to her left.  
  
It was dark that night, and she couldn't see. She reached back inside to turn on the porch light. She didn't see Bernard against the chimney wall behind her. He stood there and watched her curiously. Slowly the wind started to calm down and he could see her clearly.  
  
She had bluish green eyes behind glasses that rested on an interesting nose that stuck to a pretty face that was shielding by her hair, which was straight, but also not straight. It made you look at it and not be able to make up your mind if it was curly or not. Her shivering hands rose from her sides to brash her hair away from her face. She started looking behind chairs and under tables that were on the porch, then she sighed and turned to go back inside.  
  
As she turned around Bernard quickly disappeared. She did see him, but she thought it was only a reflection in her glasses.  
  
She rubbed her hands as she shut the door, then she turned around to go back to her brothers. She jumped from a stage of shock as she saw the elf standing there, right in her kitchen. His hands were behind his back, and his face had a curious look upon it. His hair was black and curly, his clothes were awfully strange but brilliant at the same time, yet that wasn't the strange thing. His pointy ears were. He was looking her up and down, and didn't seem to notice her shocked expression until he was finished with his observation.  
  
"Why are you staring at me that way?" said the strange boy.  
  
Vivaine couldn't seem to get the words out. "I.......I........What are you doing here?"  
  
"Aren't you supposed to start with a 'Who are you?'" he said.  
  
Vivaine eyed him suspiciously. "What are you doing in my house?"  
  
"Well, guess that didn't work." said the elf, taking off his hat and shaking it, causing snow to fall off of it. But there hadn't been any snow outside. Then he put the hat back on his head, and stuck out his hand. "Hello. I'm Bernard. Don't be alarmed by my surprising visit. I have business to attend with you."  
  
Vivaine didn't shake his hand, and finally he slowly brought his hand back to his side. Viviane was still eyeing him, then she said, "You're not one of those mall elves who are looking for a guy to play Santa, are you?"  
  
The Bernard looked completely shocked. "Me, one of those posers? I think not! I'm the number one Elf of the North Pole."  
  
Viviane gave him an even crazier look. "Uh huh....." she said slowly, then she started to back away from the door. "I must be dreaming." she muttered, looking thoughtful.  
  
"Uh, no ma'am. You're not dreaming. Trust me, I'm an elf."  
  
"Look, I'm sixteen, I don't believe in elves anymore." she said, leaning on a chair.  
  
"Well, I'm 1002 and I still believe in them." said Bernard, then he looked puzzled. "Wait, change that. I'm 1002 and I AM an Elf, so you better start believing."  
  
The girl still didn't seem convinced. "Look, if you're looking for money just take this." said Vivaine, handing him a tin can. Bernard just looked at it, then back at her, but didn't take it. "Take it. It's my mom's money. She doesn't live here anymore. Besides, dad's going to give it to the fund- raiser elves at the mall anyway." Bernard still didn't take it. She sighed impatiently, then put the can back on the table.  
  
"Look, I know this is going to be hard for you to believe, but you've got to believe me. Santa sent me to help your family."  
  
"There's nothing wrong with my family." she snapped.  
  
"Oh no, yes there is." said Bernard, taking a step closer to her. "And I know you want help." He leaned toward her giving her a look, like he was expecting an answer. She just scowled at him and turned away and started to walk into another room. Bernard straightened back up, and did not looked very happy.  
  
"Look here missy!" he said, following her into the hallway. "If you want real proof, I'll give it to you!" the elf used a lot of hand gestures as he talked and he raised his voice a little, and he seemed to get annoyed very easily.  
  
"Oh yeah, how?"  
  
"How do you explain this?" His angry face and beautifully dressed body suddenly disapeared, and left little snowflakes falling gracefully to the floor. He reappeared behind her, though she didn't notice. She was gaping at the snowflakes, then she bent down to look at them.  
  
"They're real!" she exclaimed in a surprised voice. Bernard rolled his eyes.  
  
"Of course they're real." Viviane jumped again and spun around.  
  
"That....That still doesn't prove you're an elf." she stuttered.  
  
"Come on Vivs! I know you can believe! You believed much longer than the other kids at your school. I know for a fact that you believed in us until you were fourteen. I'll just let you in on a little secret. Seeing isn't believing. Believing is seeing."  
  
Bernard stood there, waiting for her response. She stood there for a while, thinking. Finally she said, "How did you know my name and how long I've believed in Christmas?"  
  
That time Bernard exploded. "I AM AN ELF!" he said loudly, then he put his hands on his hips and turned away from her, trying to think. She was still staring at him, with a surprised look at his yelling.  
  
"Look, what do I need to tell you to make you believe in me?" he asked, his voice sounded tired and even a little whiny.  
  
Viviane looked at his with a new interest. "What list am I on?"  
  
"The Nice List."  
  
"Yes! I knew it!"  
  
"That's great NOW do you believe in me?"  
  
"No anyone dressed as an elf can answer that question!" she said, then she giggled a little when he stamped his foot.  
  
"Why are you laughing?" he demanded loudly.  
  
"You look so funny when you're mad."  
  
"What is that supposed to mean?"  
  
Vivaine didn't answer his question. "Ok, fine. Say I do believe you're an elf. Why would Santa send an elf-"  
  
"His number one elf." cut in Bernard.  
  
"Right. Why would he send his number one elf here to help my family when there's nothing wrong with us?"  
  
"Look, Vivs, I know about your family troubles. I know about the letters you used to send us when you were younger. I know how you want your wonderful Christmas back. all those years Santa as tried to find out a way to help you, and this year he found a way. It's me. I'm going to help you get your wish."  
  
Viviane stared at him with a new kind of look.  
  
"What?" asked Bernard, looking himself over to see what she was staring at.  
  
"It's nothing, it's nothing. It's just, when you say 'Vivs' it doesn't sound like any way anyone else says my nickname. Not even the way my dad says it." she was looking at him with intense interest. Bernard smiled a bit.  
  
"Well, I guess that's just the way elves talk." he said. Suddenly Viviane looked away.  
  
"Right. Right....." she was saying her herself as she headed back into the kitchen.  
  
"Anyway," said Bernard, trying to get back on track. "If you just believe in me, Vivs, I can help you."  
  
The look on the girl's face seemed to become strained. She paced the room for several minutes, then she finally said, "Oh all right. Just let me go introduce you to the boys. They'll love you."  
  
"No no no no! I.....uh......don't think I'll be seeing the twins."  
  
"Well, why not?" she said, letting go of his arm, for she had grabbed it to steer him to the other room.  
  
"Well, Santa doesn't want me dealing with them. He only wants me to talk to you."  
  
Viviane hesitated, then looked up at him. "Oh. Ok. Well, let me just put the boys to bed, and maybe we could talk a little more."  
  
"Ok." he said, then as she turned away he disappeared, and wasn't there when she looked back.  
  
*  
  
Viviane had no idea where the elf had gone. He was no longer in the kitchen, not in the living room, basement, family room, no where. Tired, she headed upstairs to her room.  
  
"Maybe I imagined it all." she said to herself as she entered her room.  
  
"There you are!" said a voice and she jumped again.  
  
"You're still not used to me popping up are you?" said the elf, getting up from sitting cross legged in her bed.  
  
"Not really." she said, moving to her bed awkwardly.  
  
"You'll learn eventually." he said.  
  
"I guess." she said, climbing into her own bed quickly, as if she was afraid he'd climb in.  
  
"Oh, don't worry. I wouldn't dream of stealing your bed. I'm heading back to the North Pole tonight."  
  
"You mean, you're going to do all of this in one night?"  
  
"No! Not even the number one elf can do that. I know I'm sort of late but we must get this done by Christmas. If we miss the deadline, then I'll have to come back for another year........and Curtis will get my job." he added in a mutter.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Oh, it's just an elf problem of mine." he said, shrugging.  
  
"Right." she said in a disbelieving tone. "So mister elf-"  
  
"Bernard." he said in an annoyed voice.  
  
"Ok, fine. So Bernard, care to tell me how you're going to help my Christmas?"  
  
"Well, actually I don't know."  
  
Vivaine's face fell. "What do you mean, you don't know?"  
  
"Well, I'm supposed to be helping you get your parents back together, but I'm not a real romantic person." he confessed.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"I've lived a thousand years and I haven't got that much romance, to tell you the truth. The job kind of gets in the way."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"You still don't believe me, do you."  
  
Viviane looked guiltily up at him. "I want to, I really do! It's just so hard for me, now a days. I don't know why."  
  
Bernard sat down on a chair nearby and watched her and she played with a loose string on her blanket. "Maybe if you tell me a story about the North Pole I'd be able to believe you more."  
  
"I'll try." said Bernard, then he looked like he suddenly remembered something. "Where is your dad?"  
  
"Asleep." she said, then she scooted forward in her bed. "Come on. Tell me a story!"  
  
"All right! Now lets see. What story to tell..........."  
  
"Tell me about the other elves. Are they as good looking at you?" she said.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Well, Bernard, you aren't exactly what I pictured an elf to look like. But you are so much better! I love that hat of yours and, oh your clothes, I wish I had some, and your shoes, they're wonderful and-" she suddenly stopped, looking at him, then she looked down at her blanket again. "Do all the elves look like you?"  
  
"Sort of......We all look different. Except for the pointy ears." he said, a little puzzled at why she suddenly stopped talking. For the rest of the night Bernard told her about the North Pole and the elves and how Scot Calvin became Santa, and she listened to all his stories until she fell asleep. He was almost falling asleep as well, and as he looked around at her room he drifted off to sleep in his chair without going to the North Pole first. 


	3. November Part Two

November Part 2  
  
(Note: I think I got Bernard's age wrong. I think it should be way more than 1002, but I'm not sure what it should be, so just pretend he's whatever age you think he should be lol)  
  
.:*:.  
  
Viviane rose from her bed and stretched, glad it was a Saturday. She rubbed her eyes until everything came into focus. She jumped when she first saw Bernard asleep in the chair in her bedroom, but everything from the night before came flooding back into her mind.  
  
"So it wasn't a dream!" she said excitedly. She got out of her bed and stood in front of the elf. His eyes were still closed, and he wasn't moving. She gently poked him, expecting him to suddenly vanish and it would be just a dream.  
  
Instead he woke with a jerk. "Huh, what?"  
  
She giggled. "Bernard, I believe you fell asleep in my room.  
  
"I, uh what?" his sleepy eyes finally came into focus and he remembered what he was supposed to do. "Oh my goodness! I'm terribly sorry Vivs, but I must make a small trip back to the North Pole, just to make sure everything's going smoothly. I meant to check last night but that's obviously not an option....." Bernard started to fumble with his hat as he fixed it on his head and started to check through his bags.  
  
"Bernard........Bernard.........BERNARD!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
"I'm sorry, what?"  
  
"If something happened at the "North Pole" wouldn't Santa contact you?" she pointed out, sitting down tiredly on her bed. She hadn't realized it was six in the morning.  
  
Bernard gasped and started to look at his watch. "You didn't hear any beeping from my watch, did you?"  
  
"No.....hey, let me see that!" she said, grabbing his arm and pulling it toward her face so she could see his watch. "It's very pretty. Did you make it yourself?"  
  
"Yes." he said, pulling his arm away. "Are you sure you didn't hear any beeping?"  
  
"Bernard, I would have woken up if I heard any." she said, rolling her eyes. "What does that watch do anyway?"'  
  
"Keeps me in touch with Santa."  
  
Viviane stared at him again. "Cool." she said nodding. "I wish I had a watch like that."  
  
She sat on her bed as Bernard started talking into his watch. "Santa? Santa are you there?"  
  
"Bernard?" Viviane stared in amazement at his watch, as if she didn't believe he actually could talk to Santa in it.  
  
"Yeah it's me." the elf said.  
  
"How's everything going?"  
  
"Nevermind that if everything all right there? Has Curtis messed anything up yet?"  
  
"Calm down Bernard! Yeesh! Don't worry about him. So, how did the talk with Vivs go?"  
  
Viviane looked again surprised at how the guy he was talking to knew her name.  
  
"She's sitting right here. She still doesn't believe I'm an elf." he said, looking up at her from his watch.  
  
"Oh no!" she heard Santa say. "Not Vivs. Surly she believes in you." Viviane blushed as Bernard grinned up at her.  
  
"Well, she doesn't seem to believe anything I say......."  
  
"I believe SOME of the things you say. I mean, how do I know you're not a man dressed in an elf costume, making up stories of the North Pole and that's really your dad talking to you?"  
  
Bernard rolled her eyes. "I showed you before! How can you not believe me after I disappeared right before your eyes?"  
  
"Hey, Bernard, let me talk to her." said Santa.  
  
"Oh. Ok." said Bernard, standing up, then he took off his watch and handed it to Viviane. "Santa wants to talk to you."  
  
"I know." she said, giving him a look as she took the watch. "I have ears you know."  
  
"Somebody's cranky today." he muttered.  
  
"Hello?" said Viviane into the watch.  
  
"Hello Vivs. Have you been a good girl this year?"  
  
"I guess so. Bernard here says I'm on the Nice List." she said, sounding a little bored. Bernard was standing his arms behind his back again.  
  
"Right he is. So, I know you've been having some family trouble lately, and I just want to make sure you know we're just trying to help."  
  
"I guess."  
  
"No, there's no guessing! I know you've been upset that it seemed I didn't answer your letters, but if you believe me, it was because I was waiting until I could find a way to help you. Trust us, that Bernard and I are just here to help!"  
  
Viviane was looking at the watch thoughtfully, but didn't say anything. Suddenly an alarm started to go off in the background sound of the watch. She looked up fearfully at Bernard, and dropped the watch.  
  
"Santa! Santa, what happened?" Bernard was yelling into the watch as he grabbed it off the floor.  
  
"We're going into Elfcon 3, sorry Bernard, all have to call you back!" Santa yelled back, then the sounds went away. There was silence.  
  
"Elfcon 3?" said Viviane, puzzled.  
  
*  
  
"Now, first, I think we should start by talking to your mom. She's a teacher, right?"  
  
"Yep, Mr. Elf."  
  
Bernard put down the piece of parchment he was reading and glared at her. "It's Bernard."  
  
"Whatever." she said, shrugging as they walked.  
  
They were downtown walking on the ice covered sidewalks, heading towards where Viviane's mother lived, which was only on the other side of town.  
  
"No, it's not 'whatever'" he said in an angry voice. "How do you expect me to help you if you don't let me?"  
  
"Look, I'm just going along with what you and 'Santa' say, I don't even think this is going to work. You could put a mistletoe above my mom and dad and she'd just rip it up to shreds and throw it at his feet. They hate eachother now! Besides," she paused, a frown on her face as she walked. "When I sent you those letters I was just a child. I didn't understand much. Now I know that they don't like eachother anymore and I have to respect that. Just because they're apart doesn't mean we can't have a good Christmas. You should just go back to your "North Pole" and just forget about us."  
  
"And why?" asked Bernard.  
  
"BECAUSE THEY'LL NEVER GET BACK TOGETHER!" she shouted in his face. She stood with her face centimeters from his, glaring at him. He put his index finger on her forehead and pushed her face slowly farther away.  
  
"I'd never expect you too loose hope so fast." he said, staring at her. She looked down at her feet miserably.  
  
"Now let me think for a minute." he said, turning back to his paper.  
  
"I don't think talking to my mom will help much." said Viviane, not paying much attention to what the elf had just said. "Maybe if we remind both of them what fun they had when they were first in love- no." she shook her head again. "I still can't believe this will work. I'm sorry Bernard. I just- I can't see it happening. And elf coming to my house to help my parents get back together is just really, really weird." She gave him a sad look and started to walk away.  
  
"No, wait!" he said, running after her. "Please! Come on. Santa and I have known you for a long time-"  
  
"Santa knows EVERYONE so what makes me so special?"  
  
"No, you don't understand! We really enjoyed your letters, and Santa loves the stop at your house. That's why him and me are trying so hard to help you. No one, especially you, should have to spend a Christmas like the way you do."  
  
Viviane sighed. "I appreciate it, Bernard, really! But you must not know your parents as much as you know me." She turned and walked away again.  
  
Bernard sighed, and looked into his watch. "Santa, we have a problem." he muttered.  
  
*  
  
Viviane sat alone in the park, wondering where the elf had gone. "Bet he's at the North Pole." she said sarcastically.  
  
"Nope." said a voice behind her and she jumped again.  
  
"Bernard! Stop dis- stop making yourself do that!"  
  
Bernard ignored her and came around from behind the bench with a small card in his hand and a very odd looking thing. She wasn't sure what it was, but it was very gold and polished, and if she could describe it easily, she would say it looked like a cart of some sort full of mirrors.  
  
"What the heck is that?" she said.  
  
"Basically it's just a bunch of microscope lenses. It's made so we elves and Santa can see the tiny writing on these cards." he said, showing the girl the card in his hand. There was another card like this one, which said "Santa Clause" on it. This one said "Elf" on it instead.  
  
"It just says Elf on it and I can see that pretty clearly." she said.  
  
"No you can't!" Bernard took and card and put it in a small slot on one end of the card and pulled up one of the mirrors. "Can you see anything?"  
  
"Just the word Elf again." she said, shrugging.  
  
Bernard pulled up another microscope lens that was bigger. "How about now?"  
  
"Still, all I see is elf!" she said angrily.  
  
"Now?" he said, pulling up another one.  
  
"Nope."  
  
"Now?  
  
"NO!"  
  
"Now?"  
  
"JUST STOP IT!" she said, pulling down the last microscope.  
  
"How about now?" he said, finally pulling up the last and biggest one.  
  
"No........wait..........yes. What the heck?" she said, peering into it. Inside the word Elf was smaller words that were hard to see even with the biggest lens.  
  
"Those who wish to become an elf, work as an elf, or to take on the toy making business must first be witnessed by the current Santa Claus to check out his or her toy making experience. If a non-elf wishes to take on the job of a departed elf they must agree to the rules of Christmas and read the Handbook which is kept by the Number Two Elf- What the heck is this?" she said, looking at Bernard.  
  
"Well, Santa and I had a talk and we thought we should so you some business cards that may convince you." he said, looking at her. She sighed annoyingly again and started to trudge off.  
  
"Hey, wait!" he said, pulling down the last lens and started to push the cart toward her.  
  
"Just leave me alone." she said. "I already told you! I don't want a make believe elf following me anymore!"  
  
"LOOK HERE!" said Bernard, stopping the cart with force and walking over to her in an angry way. "Will you ever just at least TRY and believe in us? Why aren't you the Vivs we've known for such a long time? Why aren't you the one we've been getting letters from anymore? Why aren't you the Vivs who used to write letters to the Tooth Fairy and hid eggs for the Easter Bunny and leave a bucket of sand for the Sandman? What happened to her?"  
  
"She left." said Viviane sadly. "When my parents split apart."  
  
Bernard started to get less angry as she hung her head. "Why? Why did you give up, just like that?"  
  
"It just didn't seem like it was possible anymore! Don't you get it? They seemed like the perfect people for eachother. Then they just decided to hate eachother. I started to loose hope when Santa didn't come to spread his magic."  
  
"We are spreading our magic. You just won't give us a chance to." Bernard said in an encouraging way.  
  
Viviane finally looked up at him and started to smile. "Oh all right. I'll let you help me."  
  
Bernard grinned. "Yes!"  
  
"But I just have one question." she said.  
  
"What?" said Bernard, remembering about the microscope lenses, then he snapped his fingers and it disappeared. "Santa might want that back."  
  
Viviane stared at where the thing just was in astonishment, as if she still couldn't believe Bernard could do magic.  
  
"Come on, what's your question?"  
  
"Oh yeah, right. I was just wondering why you can't just tell Cupid to just go shoot my parents in the but?"  
  
Bernard's face fell. "Tried that. He said he all ready shot them once and you can't hit a person twice."  
  
"Oh." he said, disappointed. Bernard watched her, and decided to get on with it. "Anyway, are you sure you fully believe me now?"  
  
Viviane hesitated, but she did nod.  
  
"Great! Now all we need is to get them in the same place at the same time."  
  
"How are we going to do that?" asked Viviane as they started walking down the sidewalk again.  
  
"Well, I had an idea." he said.  
  
"Well, what is it?" asked Viviane.  
  
"Oh, yeah. I think we should take your parents back to where they first met."  
  
"And where the heck is that?" said Viviane, stopping him in the road. "And how do you know what it is?"  
  
Bernard started to look mad again. "Have you forgotten all ready? I'm an Elf, working for Santa! Santa knows these things."  
  
"Oh yeah, right." she said, but she still didn't sound like she believed he worked for Santa. "So, where do we go?"  
  
"First, we have to find some way to get your mom and dad to go there........" said Bernard, looking thoughtful again. 


	4. November Part Three

November Part 3  
  
"Where DID my parents meet anyway?" asked Vivs.  
  
"You don't know?" said Bernard, then he held out his hand. "Come on. I'll show you. Take my hand and I'll take you there."  
  
"Oh. ok." she did as he said, then everything seemed to swirl around, then they were suddenly in a woods that was covered in snow. It was a big woods that was only down town.  
  
'This is where my parents met?" she said, surprised.  
  
"Shhhh...." said Bernard, then suddenly two people emerged into the woods.  
  
"It's my parents! But..... they're only sixteen!" she exclaimed. Bernard nodded.  
  
"Are we back in time?"  
  
"Yes. Now shhhhh!"  
  
She didn't listen. "When are we?" then she grabbed his arm to look at his watch, which also had the date on it. "It's Christmas Eve!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Yes. It's the day your parents met. don't you know anything about your parents?"  
  
"I guess not." she said.  
  
"Now shush!"  
  
Vivs younger parents didn't notice they were both there until her mother suddenly looked in his direction and gasped.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you." said her father, a little surprised.  
  
"No, it's all right. I just thought I was the only one who still came here." she said. She had her favorite scarf around her neck. Vivaine was looking at it wonderingly. She leaned over to Bernard and whispered, "Can they see us?" Bernard shook his head.  
  
"Really? I thought I was the only one to come here." they both walked up together and Vivs could see them staring at eachother curiously.  
  
"It's my favorite spot to go to on Christmas Eve."  
  
"Mine too!"  
  
"Really?" her father nodded. Then her mother suddenly turned away. "I.....I used to come here every year when I younger, because I thought you could see Santa coming if you sat here all night." she laughed. "But I'd fall asleep." she turned back to him. "Don't tell me you used to do that too?"  
  
Her father shook his head. "No, but I like to come here because I could see reindeer tracks. Or I used to THINK I did."  
  
Her mother's eyes were so alight and happy, unlike how they looked now. Now they looked tired and lonely. "Hi. I'm Danielle." she said, reaching to shake his hand.  
  
"I'm Danny."  
  
And then they fell in love. Vivs sighed from beside Bernard. "That's so sweet! Why aren't they like that now?"  
  
Bernard waited until her parents walked off in the distance and you couldn't hear them singing "Sleigh Ride" anymore.  
  
"Who knows." he said.  
  
"Our cheeks are nice and rosy and comfy cozy are we.." Vivs started to sing. 'We used to sing that as loud as we could while we decorated the tree." she said sadly.  
  
"Just hear those sleigh bells jingling ringting ringling too.." Bernard started to sing too.  
  
"We all love that song." she said. "We don't sing it anymore."  
  
Bernard didn't say anything, but then Vivs said, "Take us back to the present. We got to get my parents back to that place!"  
  
*  
  
"Dad?" Vivs said, running into the house when they got back.  
  
"Vivs! Where have you been?" he said.  
  
"I was with Bernard!"  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Bernard! He's- gone. Oh dang it."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Nevermind! Just listen to me! We need to go to the Wood on Christmas Eve!"  
  
Her father looked at her gravely. "I see what's going on. NO."  
  
"But dad-"  
  
"No buts! Honey, I see what you're trying to do, but you just got to leave your mother and me alone. We're over." He looked at her.  
  
"Oh fine." she said, then she ran away from him, pouting like she used to do when she was six.  
  
"What a baby." said Tim.  
  
Her father stood up, rubbing his neck worriedly. "How did she know about that place?" he wondered.  
  
Vivs ran up to her room, and pulled open the door, expecting Bernard to be sitting in her room. but he wasn't there. "Oh where did he go?" She ran back outside, but he wasn't there either.  
  
"Dad! Have you seen a boy named Bernard anywhere?" she said, coming back inside.  
  
"Stomp the snow off your boots before you come inside, honey!" he said.  
  
"Dad!" she said, tracking snow on the floor angrily. "Who's Bernard?" said Tim, saying Bernard as if it was a weird name.  
  
"He's an elf, about this tall, he's got this really cool hat and he keeps disappearing on me."  
  
Everyone stared at her. Then her two brothers started laughing.  
  
"Now who told you anything about- your mother." he said, then he headed toward the phone.  
  
"No, dad! Mom didn't tell me about Bernard!" she said, grabbing the phone out of his hand. "I'm telling you, I was just with him! Maybe Santa called him or something."  
  
Her father put his hand on her forehead. "You aren't sick....." he said.  
  
"DAD! AUGH!" she said, then she stomped away, leaving the kitchen full of snow. Then she backed up. 'He's the Head Elf of the North Pole. I'm not lying!"  
  
Her father rubbed his face in annoyance. "It's the sixth grade all over again." he groaned. Tim handed his dad the phone back. "I suggest you ask mom about this. She might have had something to do with it."  
  
'Thank you Tim." he said, taking the phone.  
  
*  
  
Vivs slammed onto her bed, looking mad. Bernard walked over from inside her closet. "I see you DO believe in me now?" he smirked. Viviane rolled her eyes.  
  
"Where were you?"  
  
"I was hungry." he said, holding up a sandwich he had in his hands.  
  
*  
  
"Tim? Did you eat my sandwich again?" Vivs father called into the other room angrily. 


	5. December Part One

December Part 1  
  
"But MOM! I haven't been to the woods yet! I want to see where you too met!" pleaded Vivs. Her mother looked at her solemnly as she put the groceries away.  
  
"Viviane, did your father tell you about where we met that Christmas Eve?"  
  
Vivs suddenly had an idea.  
  
"Um....yes. He did. He was telling me and the twins his favorite Christmas moment...." Vivs eyed her mother as she spoke. She saw a little spark in her eye.  
  
"He... he did?" she said, sounding interested.  
  
"Oh yes. He was so delighted as he told it."  
  
"I see....." she said, walking around Vivs to the other side of the kitchen. "Well, maybe I can take you there.... but just this once."  
  
"Oh thank you mom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Vivs said, nearly knocking down her mother when she hugged her.  
  
*  
  
"So what about your father?" said Bernard as they walked home from Vivs' mother's house.  
  
"I know my father. If we just play our cards right he should just take a walk and he'd go right to the woods I just know it. We have to set it all up though!"  
  
"Set it up?"  
  
"Yeah. Come on!"  
  
Vivs rushed Bernard home with her and she gathered all the Christmas decorations from the basement as well and a radio and some Christmas cds. Bernard helped her carry everything downtown to the woods where they had visited back in time.  
  
For the next few hours they decorated the trees with tinsel, Christmas wreaths, ornaments, and Christmas lights. It was a beautiful scene once everything was done.  
  
"It's wonderful!" said Vivs. "It reminds me of our house before my parents got divorced."  
  
Bernard climbed down the latter next to one of the doors and started to brush all the pine needles off of him.  
  
"I must admit, it looks pretty good!"  
  
"I hope they like it." she said, and Bernard watched her as she looked all around the trees again, with the Christmas Spirit starting to reflect again in her eyes.  
  
*  
  
"Sounds like you've done a fantastic job so far, Bernard!" said Santa gleefully.  
  
"Indeed I have. I think this plan of yours might actually work."  
  
"Don't jinx it!" "Oh, yeah, right." said the elf, laughing.  
  
"Bernard! What in flying reindeers are you doing here?" said Curtis, walking into the room, stomping his feet.  
  
"What's the surprise? It's nighttime at Vivs' house, I come here almost every night. What's up with you?"  
  
"You're not supposed to be here!" he said, trying to push Bernard out of the room.  
  
"What is- Oh never mind get off of me!"  
  
"Get out of here!" he kept saying, trying to punch Bernard out of the room.  
  
"Whoa who a whoa! What's wrong Curtis?"  
  
Curtis finally stopped, and pointed at Bernard angrily.  
  
"You cannot let the elves see him."  
  
"Why not?" said Bernard and Santa at the same time.  
  
"Just don't let them see him! Oh no, here they come now.........."  
  
Curtis tried to hide Bernard, but the head elf wouldn't move.  
  
"This is ridiculous!" he said, pulling Bernard off of him. Too late. The elves, looking like an angry mob, burst into the room.  
  
"Get rid of him NOW, Santa!" they were shouting, but they instantly shushed when they saw Bernard.  
  
"Bernard's back!" they shouted, then they bolted across the room and started shouting out questions.  
  
"Why did you have to go to Egypt? We thought you died! Curtis said you wouldn't come back until a year or two!"  
  
Bernard turned his head over to Curtis and gave him an angry look. "I don't know what you've all heard, but what I was really doing was going to New England to help a family by Christmas Eve." he turned his head to Santa. "What's going on here?"  
  
"I don't know! I knew nothing of this!" he confessed.  
  
"Because HE hide everything from you." shouted one of the elves, pointing to Curtis.  
  
"Curtis, what did you do NOW?" groaned Bernard.  
  
"Nothing! Honest!" said Curtis, as everyone stared at him.  
  
*  
  
Vivs couldn't sleep. Every night since Bernard arrived she had been thinking everything through every night. She remembered how her family had been at Christmas before their family broke up. They always had all their decorations up, and sometime they had three Christmas trees. They sang and listened to Christmas songs everyday after Thanksgiving, and watched A Christmas movie every other night. Why did all that suddenly get put into the trash with her mother moved away?  
  
She hoped their plan would work. She hadn't realized how much she missed their Christmas's until Bernard arrived.  
  
Another thing she pondered was the fact that an Elf came to her house to help her. She used to love the elves when she was little. She'd write them letters with the letters she wrote to Santa. Did any of those elves read the letters? Did Bernard read them?  
  
Eventually she'd fall back asleep, but she could never remember when she fell asleep. She remembered it was pretty late when she fell asleep, though.  
  
She often had dreams of her going to the North Pole, and they always seemed so real. They were so real to her she was often confused it she actually went or not.  
  
But when she woke up she was always glad to see Bernard already eating breakfast, or in the middle of making it. Then they'd take a walk around town, waiting for the day when her mother and father would meet eachother again in the Christmas decorated wood. 


	6. December Part Two

December Part 2  
  
Vivs woke up as usual on her Christmas Vacation, but Bernard was no where to be found. She was puzzled at first, but then she just decided to wait a little bit longer for him. Today was the day her mother and father would be heading to the woods.  
  
Well, she wasn't sure about her father yet. But she knew he would head there if she just followed the plan. Hopefully it would work.  
  
*  
  
"Curtis, if you don't tell me what you did right now-" Bernard started, but he was interrupted.  
  
"He was awful, Bernard! Barking at us, making us wrap presents TWICE, yelling at us for not painting right when we were doing just fine.... He was doing a lot of other bad things too!" All the elves gasped.  
  
Bernard turned to Curtis angrily. "Like what?"  
  
Curtis bowed his head. "I guess I got too caught up in the job."  
  
"What did you do?"  
  
"Nothing too bad!.......just restored the (whatever that thing is called that they made the toy Santa in I can't remember the name :() and started making more toys out of that and they turned alive."  
  
Bernard looked like he was going to blow a gasket. "WHY WOULD YOU GO AND DO A STUPID THING LIKE THAT?"  
  
"Bernard, cool it. Let me handle this. Curtis, where are the toys you made?"  
  
"Down in the toy shop. I was coming up here to ask you for help, Santa, but HE had to be here." said Curtis. Bernard whispered to Santa. "What do I do now? I have to go back down to Viv's house! But I should be helping you and elves too!"  
  
"Don't worry about it. I'll do as much as I can and when you come back down here you can finish helping." said Santa in a proud voice, but Bernard didn't look so sure.  
  
"Oh all right. But if you need me, just call me." he said, pointing to his watch again.  
  
*  
  
Vivs sat miserbly at the kitchen table, holding a piece of toast, but not eating it. Her brothers came in and started to bother her.  
  
"What's wrong, you're little elf friend not here?" they laughed at her.  
  
"Exactly." he said, not really paying attention to her. Her father came in as well and was looking at her star out the door into the snow with her sad face and eyes.  
  
"What's the matter?" he said. Vivs just shook her head.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Doesn't look like nothing."  
  
Suddenly there was a pounding sound, like someone was pounding their feet as they walked up the porch steps.  
  
"Now who the heck is THAT?" said her father, heading towards the door.  
  
"WAIT! I'll get it." Vivs tried to say, but her father was already opening the door and Bernard walked in, brushing himself off.  
  
"Um....Bernard....." Vivs tried to say, but Bernard didn't seem to be listening to her, or noticing the others standing there, staring at him.  
  
"That good for nothing nitwit! After all that happened last time with that stupid machine, he takes it out again and starts building more toys in it. THE NERVE!" he said as he strolled angerly through the kitchen, then he took Vivs' piece of toast. "I can't believe that little-"  
  
"BERNARD!" Vivs said loudly and she grabbed him by the face. "Relax." she said more softly then she let go.  
  
"Oh. Sorry. Just we had some trouble at the North Pole." he said.  
  
"And you'll have more trouble here." Vivs said.  
  
"Why?" asked Bernard, taking a bite of his toast. It was then when he noticed Vivs' brothers and father.  
  
"Oh." he said, dropping to toast onto the table.  
  
*  
  
"Santa, before you do anything, I just want to say I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't worry about it right now, Curtis, ok?" said Santa as he rushed all the elves away after Bernard left. "We need to figure out a plan."  
  
"Well, I've got nothing." said the elf, and Santa turned his face to Curtis.  
  
"You're a good help." he said sarcastically.  
  
"Ok, here's what we're going to do Elves! We need to all get rid of these living toys. Does anyone see them?"  
  
"I do!" piped up Judy. 'They're heading towards the outside village!" she said. She was holding one of the new inventions that was originally Bernard's that looked like a game boy except it had a map of the North Pole on it and everyone inside it.  
  
"Nice work, Judy. Let's go!" cried Santa, and all of the Elves charged.  
  
[sorry if this seems a lot like Santa Clause 2, but in the next chapter I think you'll realize it really isn't that much like Santa Clause 2. I might write a few chapters today so I can finish it before Christmas lol! Please review!] 


	7. December Part Three

December Part 3:  
  
Bernard sat at the table silently, staring at the others, who were staring back at him.  
  
"Hi?" he said finally. Tim came up to him and started poking him.  
  
"Are you from the mall?" he asked.  
  
"No! I'm from the North Pole!" said Bernard in an annoyed voice as he poked him. "Stop poking me."  
  
"Is this some sort of joke?" said Vivs' dad.  
  
"Yes," she said quickly. "He's a friend of mine from..... from school. He's...... um..... one of the elves at the mall with that Santa guy. "  
  
"Yeah. The FAKE Santas." added Bernard.  
  
"Uh huh........" said her father in a slow voice.  
  
"I..I was just telling him about the place where you and mom met. Yeah."  
  
Her father looked at her sternly. 'Stop with that right now."  
  
"But-"  
  
"No."  
  
"But I was talking to mom about it and she went on and on and on about it. She said it was her favorite Christmas memory." Vivs said quickly, and her father kept his mouth shut. He was staring at her, then at Bernard. The Elf shifted in his seat, then he started eating the toast again.  
  
"Why is he still in his elf costume? And why was he so mad about something in the North Pole?" asked Tim, who poked him again.  
  
"He likes to Role Play." said Vivs quickly. She looked at her father, who was looking down at the table, then she quickly pulled Bernard out of his chair. "We're gonna go now. He needs to get back to the mall.  
  
*  
  
"That was close." she said as they walked back outside.  
  
"Yeah it was." he said, finishing the toast. He watched Vivs as she looked at her watch while walking at the same time.  
  
"We have 6 hours to spare until the big moment. So, why don't you tell me your troubles at the North Pole?"  
  
"Curtis made another army of living toys." said Bernard, rolling his eyes.  
  
"Oh yeah I think you told me the story of last time he did that. Did you fix it?"  
  
"The elves and Santa are working on it. Santa said when I'm done here I can come back and help them. If they need it."  
  
"Well, of course they'll need it." said Vivs, smiling.  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
"I don't know. But I think they will need help from their best Number One Elf."  
  
Bernard smiled.  
  
[ok, I read the reviews and I saw that many of you are asking if this is a Vivs/Bernard story. at first it was, and it still might be. This next part is a little romance between them that I had an idea for, and if you think it doesn't go well with the story or whatever, just say so in the reviews and maybe I can make an alternative Ending kind of this for this scene. I think the scene is pretty cool though. I just wasn't sure about it since of the age differences and he's an Elf and all that lol! Oh well. I'll see what you guys think.]  
  
They walked back to the woods, just to check on it, though they knew it was just fine. They walked around it for a while, talking about Curtis and his army of toys.  
  
"You should really go and help them!" said Vivs. "What if they really need you?"  
  
"I don't know. You need me too! I think they Elves and Santa could fix most of it."  
  
"But what if it ruins Christmas?"  
  
"Are you trying to get rid of me or something?" he said angrily.  
  
Vivs looked shocked. "Of course not!"  
  
"Then why are you trying to get me to leave?"  
  
"I didn't mean it that way!" she said desperately.  
  
"Well, it sounds like you do!"  
  
"No it doesn't!"  
  
"To me it does!"  
  
"Well I'm sorry." said Vivs in an angry voice too, and she crossed her arms.  
  
"Fine."  
  
There was another silence until Vivs said, "I just thought it would be my fault if they needed you and you were down here."  
  
Bernard sighed. 'I'm sorry for yelling at you."  
  
"It's ok." she said, then she stopped and turned to Bernard. "I wouldn't want to get rid of you. Because I....I really like you."  
  
Bernard looked a little surprised. "Really?"  
  
"Why are you so surprised?"  
  
"Well, we do kinda fight a lot..."  
  
"Yeah.. I guess we do.." she looked up at him. She was at least two inches shorter than him, but it didn't look like a big difference. She then didn't know what she was doing, but then she kissed him. Thought afterwards she was totally terrified and started to stutter.  
  
"I....I'm so sorry! I have no idea where that came from....."  
  
Bernard only looked at her curiously.  
  
"What? Did I do it wrong or something?" she asked, blushing.  
  
"No...at least I don't think you did. It's just that you humans kisses are so...."  
  
"So what?" she demanded.  
  
"Well.......different from ours."  
  
'"Well, is that so?" she said stomping her foot angrily. This wasn't really what she had in mind. "Well, what are elf kisses like then?"  
  
"They're like this."  
  
Now THIS was not what she expected either. He grabbed her and kissed her, though for much longer than she kissed him. She closed her eyes and inside her mind everything started to fog up. No, it wasn't fogging up. It was snowing. It started to look a lot like how Bernard described the snow globe he gave Charlie. Except instead of seeing reindeer and a sleigh fly over the houses, she saw visions of the North Pole, and how beautiful it was. Then it suddenly was over, and Bernard stopped kissing her. She opened her eyes and blinked at him, and her face must have looked amazed.  
  
"Wow. You're right." she said. Then she suddenly snapped out of it. "Isn't this against the rules or something?"  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"Elves and humans...."  
  
"Oh." Bernard said, then he looked back at her. "I'm not sure, but does it really matter?"  
  
Vivs looked back up at him. "How long do elves live?"  
  
"A very long time." he replied. All of a sudden it started to get colder outside and Bernard hugged her close to him to keep her warm........  
  
[ok, so that's the idea I had for the romance between Vivs and Bernard lol! I think I had it in a dream once. I dunno. ANYWAY, if you like this idea then I'll put more romance in it, but if you think it's too weird or gets beside the point in the story then I'll take it out......Please review!] 


	8. December Part Four

December Part 4:  
  
"I'm starting to have second thoughts about this." said Vivs' mother as they started walking outside to go into they woods downtown. Vivs was very disappointed. It wasn't snowing, and clouds covered the shining stars. She hoped the plan would work. Bernard stayed in the woods when Vivs went to her mother's house. When she was gone, he secretly started to use some of his Elven magic. First he spread the clouds apart so he could see the stars, then he was just about to make it start snowing when a couple of the E.L.F.s came flying down.  
  
"What is it? Did something go wrong?" he said anxiously, hurrying over to them.  
  
"No. Santa just sent us down here to tell you everything is absolutely fine."  
  
"What?!?!?"  
  
The E.L.F.s just shrugged. "It's true. Curtis did excellent is beating all those toys!"  
  
"But he made them in the first place!!!!" Bernard said angrily.  
  
They shrugged again. "Well, he certainly fixed his mistake." the other E.L.F.s agreed. Bernard stared at them angrily.  
  
"Well, what happened to Santa's watch I made him? Usually if he needs to contact me he just talks to me through there!"  
  
"Curtis is fixing up a few things on it." replied to leader of the E.L.F.s.  
  
"WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Curtis is NOT allowed to touch my watch."  
  
"Well he already did. Well, we have to go. See you Bernard. Oh yeah, and Santa said now that everything is all right you don't need to come back right away. Now you can help Vivs and her family without worry! Oh, we better split. Here they come!"  
  
They flew away just as Vivs and her mom appeared. Bernard also spotted Vivs father on the other side. He sighed in relief, thought it wasn't a happy relief. He decided to wait to make it snow and hurried behind a tree with the CD player.  
  
"Oh wow the stars really show in here- Oh Viviane what is all this?" Her mother stared at all the decorations in awe.  
  
"Just a small Christmas present." she said, grinning.  
  
"You tricked me!" she said, but she was smiling as well. "Oh honey...."  
  
"That's not all, mom." she said, as her father ran over to them.  
  
"Viviane, did you do all this?" he said as he stopped in front of her. Then he noticed his ex-wife standing there. They stood, staring at each other for a long time.  
  
"I can't believe you made me come here Viviane." her mother said angrily, and started to walk away, but Bernard had started playing "Sleigh Ride." She stopped in her tracks.  
  
Vivs looked at them eagerly. "I know you guys still love eachother. I know you miss how it used to be as well." she said.  
  
"How could you know such things?"  
  
"I always had a feeling you two missed eachother because you still both have pictures of each other that you didn't rip up and I see both of you glance at them every once in a while. But I didn't think about it that much until a friend came and showed me." she smiled near the tree.  
  
"It's not that Elf boy is it? How could he possibly know us?" said her father.  
  
"Elf boy? What Elf boy?" her mother said suspiciously.  
  
"Trust me, dad, he knows a lot of things. Mom, he's just..... a guy I met at the mall."  
  
"I thought you said he was from school." said her father.  
  
"Um. Oh yeah! Um..... nevermind. Just take a walk around......" Vivs stopped talking, seeing a pair of horses trotting into the clearing with all of the decorations. There wasn't a sleigh with them though. Bernard happened to know both of them liked Horse Back Riding.  
  
"Or you can ride around!" she said cheerfully, yet in a confused voice. Her parents didn't smile though. But they were looking at each other.  
  
"Vivs, I know what you're trying to do, and it's very thoughtful. I...I just can't do it." she said, then he turned around and shouted in surprise when she saw Bernard there, watching. Vivs gave him a look from behind. He was supposed to be behind the tree.  
  
"Sorry," he began to say, walking towards the horses. "Ran out of sleighs." he started to put some riens with jingle bells on them onto the horses. Bernard winked at Vivs and tried to act like he was happy. Half of him was. Half of his was still bothered by what those E.L.F.s had said.  
  
"Um, I'm sorry....We're not-"  
  
"Nonsense. Get on top of him he's been waiting to pull someone all day. Of course, he won't be pulling anyone tonight but anything is good for him." He fed the horse a carrot. "If you feed his a carrot that is."  
  
They all laughed and they had no choice but to get on top of the horse. Vivs saw her father lean to her mother and she was sure he was saying that was the Elf boy they were talking about.  
  
Vivs stood smiling as she watched her mother and father riding and chatting around the decorated woods with Sleigh Ride blaring. Then she turned to Bernard, who was heading sadly back to the tree.  
  
"Bernard, what's wrong?" she said, walking after him.  
  
"I KNEW I was going to loose my job." he was muttering to himself.  
  
"You lost your job?" she gasped.  
  
"Well, not really. But I'm sure I'll get bumped down."  
  
"Oh I'm so sorry! What happened?"  
  
Bernard told her about the E.L.F.s flying down.  
  
"Dang it I wish I saw them." she said, then he shook her head and said, "I'm so sorry! But maybe it's not as great as they make it seem as. Maybe....Maybe Curtis will mess up again and they'll beg you to come back!"  
  
Bernard smiled a bit. Vivs tried to think of what to say. "Maybe you can go back right now! It does seem like out plan worked. Unless they start fighting again." Vivs looked back at her parents.  
  
"Well, I guess I could stop by......" he said slowly, looking at her.  
  
"They need you to help with the presents! I'm sure Curtis can't do EVERYTHING by himself." she said, smiling.  
  
"Allright. Hopefully I can get there before they hire another Number Two after Curtis claims himself Number One." Bernard looked at his watch, which Vivs took a peep at when he wasn't looking, and then he looked back at her.  
  
"I'll be back later." he said, then he kissed her again, though it was much more powerful that time, and he quickly disappeared into snow and left her standing there, dazed.  
  
*  
  
Vivs helped clean up the woods later that night when they all got tired and just wanted to go to sleep. She was petting the horse when he made a sound at her that sounded like he was trying to talk. She made sure her parents weren't looking and said, "Did you just talk to me?" he made the sound again. Then she realized that slowly antlers were started to magically appear above him head, and she drew in a breath as she was standing before a reindeer.  
  
"Well, which one of Santa's reindeer are you?" she said, knowing what Bernard did.  
  
He tried to talk again, but he couldn't really understand. She looked to see if he had a tag, and discovering his name was "Cannon."  
  
"What if Santa needs you to drive his sleigh?" Cannon made another sound and started to shake, as if scared.  
  
"You're afraid of heights, aren't you?" Cannon nodded.  
  
[sorry I haven't updated I've been at my grandma's house. Please review!] 


	9. Christmas Eve Night

Christmas Eve Night:  
  
Bernard fidgeted. He was sitting in Santa's room with him, and Curtis. Curtis was looking smugly at Bernard while Bernard seemed to be staring off into space.  
  
"Bernard, you're fidgeting." Santa said as he got ready to deliver presents. "I told you, you didn't lose your job!" Curtis frowned.  
  
"I'm NOT fidgeting and I know you said I didn't lose my job." Bernard snapped, then he started shifting in his seat. Santa gave Curtis a look, but the elf only shrugged.  
  
"How could you think you'd lose your job? Yeah, Curtis did do a really great job with those toys and he did add some fantastic things to this watch, and that WONDERFUL-"  
  
"Alright, alright, I get it know." Bernard said angrily, and Santa smiled from behind his chair.  
  
"Then loosen up a bit! It's Christmas tomorrow!"  
  
"I know that Santa. I'm happy, see?" Bernard turned toward Santa and gave him a smile. Then he frowned again and turned back around.  
  
"You're just jealous of me because-" Curtis began, but Santa quieted him.  
  
"What are you so upset about? You helped that family, well, at least for now, you're still Head Elf, you made that girl happy-" Santa saw Bernard shift in his seat when he mentioned Vivs. "Oh. I get it." Santa started grinning at Bernard as he flushed. Curtis stared at them curiously.  
  
Santa walked around the chair, waving his finger at Bernard. "I get it.... I know what's bothering you." Bernard rolled his eyes.  
  
"I brought you some cookies!" burst in a voice as Mrs. Claus burst into the room with a big tray and a big smile.  
  
"I'm gonna be eating cookies all night, Carol, I don't need these!" said Santa, but he did reach for some. Carol moved the plate away.  
  
"These are for our new returning Number One." she said, smiled, and giving the tray to Bernard. He mumbled a thanks.  
  
"Why is he so down?" she asked worriedly. Curtis watched the two of them talking, then Mrs. Claus suddenly gave out a long, "Ooooooooh!" Then she turned to Bernard. "I see! I remember all those letters we used to get from her. How sweet she was."  
  
"Yeah she was." said Santa, still grinning at Bernard.  
  
"I don't see what's going on here!" shouted Curtis finally, taking Santa and Mrs. Clause by surprise.  
  
"I kissed a human alright!!!!!!!!!!" Bernard said angrily, then she stalked out of the room.  
  
He left them all staring wide eyed after him. Then Santa, his eyes still wide, said, "I didn't know that part."  
  
*  
  
Viviane sat by the window, yawning loudly. She was staring at the moon, with 'The Night Before Christmas' next to her. The same fake Christmas tree was still next to her, but the family had taken out all their old ornaments again and decorated it as much as possible, making up for the other Christmases they missed.  
  
Vivs yawned again and she heard footsteps coming down the steps. It was her dad, and she smiled at him as he sat beside her.  
  
"I think you should go to bed." he said.  
  
"No! I'm waiting for someone!" she said, and she looked outside her window again.  
  
"Honey, just because your mom and I are back again, doesn't mean Santa's back." he said, sighing sadly.  
  
"No. There's one thing wrong with your sentence."  
  
"And what is that?" he asked.  
  
"You said it doesn't mean he's BACK. Santa hasn't left. He's been here every single year, but you, being normal parents, just don't believe in him anymore. Am I right?" Vivs stared at her dad with her usual, 'You know I'm right' look.  
  
Her father sighed, and held Vis next to the tree on their couch like he used to do when she was little. "Santa isn't real, honey. I feel so weird, saying this to my adult daughter."  
  
"I'm not an adult yet!" she said. "And Santa IS real, dad. I know you used to believe in him at this age too." Her father looked startled.  
  
"Look, dad, I know these things. TRUST me. If I told you how, you wouldn't believe me. Besides," she leaned against the window sadly. "I'm hoping someone else will come too."  
  
Her father watched his daughter intently. "What's wrong?"  
  
Suddenly Vivs started to get mad inside and she stood up and glared at her father. "I kissed an elf, alright!!!!!!!!!!!!" then she stalked out of the room, leaving her father surprised, and confused.  
  
*  
  
"Vivs!" someone said loudly and she sat up in her bed with a start. "Vivs, it's just me."  
  
"Oh. Bernard! Oh my gosh! Is San-"  
  
"Shhh! Yes. He is." Bernard smiled, but she could barley see it in the darkness of her room. "I wanted to tell you that-" Bernard stopped, and sounded sad. "The elves, the need me back there. And so does Santa. But, since tomorrow's Christmas, the next few months might not be so busy. I might be able to come and visit."  
  
Vivs was silent for a moment. She understood. "I can't tell anyone about you, can I?"  
  
She saw Bernard shake his head. "Now I know how Charlie feels. Sorta." Vivs smiled a little bit.  
  
"You can still write letters." Bernard pointed out.  
  
"Yeah, if the mailman doesn't leave them in the mailbox because it's addressed to an Elf." she said.  
  
"You don't need to put it in the mailbox." said Bernard. "You see, if you right a letter to The North Pole, and put the name of Santa or Mrs. Clause of an elf you're writing to on it, just that name, then though it into the wind on a windy day, trust me. It'll get there." Vivs smiled in the dark at his words, then she kissed him, thinking it would probably be the last kiss she could give him before he left, only he kissed her too, and they both kissed each other for a long time. Then Vivs looked at Bernard and said, "I yelled at my dad today, when he came down telling me there was no Santa Clause."  
  
"Were you waiting for him?"  
  
"Yes." she said, resting her forehead on his shoulder. "Then I has an outburst and yelled, 'I kissed an elf, alright?' at him." she said, and the elf could feel her laughing.  
  
"Really? I had an outburst about you too, back in the North Pole."  
  
Vivs laughed. Suddenly the light turned on and both of them looked up, then Bernard relaxed when it was just Santa. Vis was standing still, staring at Santa with big round eyes.  
  
"Sorry, Vivs, Bernard. But we gotta go!" he said. Bernard patted her on the back as she still stared at him, then joined Santa at the door. Santa waved goodbye to the girl, then they were suddenly gone. Vivs blinked, then she started shouting for them to wait, and ran down the stairs. Her parents, who were resting together on the couch, heard her screaming and jumping on the porch and ran over to her. The two twins came running down stairs as well.  
  
"Vivs, what is it? Oh my gosh!" Her mother stopped short, and her father was close behind.  
  
"My word!" was what he said.  
  
"What's wrong? HOLY COW!" shouted the twins, and they even dropped their blankets.  
  
"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" shouted Santa as he waved down fro his sliegh at the stunned family. Bernard was waving too.  
  
"Hey! It's Vivs' Elf Boy!" shouted Tim, pointing. "Whoa!"  
  
"AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!" The sleigh went off into the distance and the whole family smiled, laughed, cried, and hugged as they watched it fly away. Then Vivs' father turned to her with a look on his face.  
  
"What?" Vivs' asked nervously.  
  
"You DID kiss an elf, didn't you!"  
  
(One more chapter!) 


	10. The End, Credits, and a Preview to Seque...

The End:  
  
Please saty through the credits for a special preview of the sequel.  
  
June:  
  
Vivs fiddled with the watch on her wrist. She was back in school from vacation, and, in fact, it was now June. School was almost over.  
  
Her watch was made by hand. Elf hands, that is. She received it on Christmas, and she new it must have been from Bernard. Sure enough, when she turned it over to look on the make, instead of saying, "Made In China" the words, "Made By Bernard" were carved across it. It was a very nice watch, though she couldn't talk to anyone in it, like she hoped. Though Bernard did add some wonderful magic tricks to it. There was one small arrow that pointed to one of the numbers to show how much Bernard was thinking about her that day, one arrow that went on a number to show how close Bernard was, another arrow that went on a number to show how many more days or weeks left until Bernard would visit, and the last one showed how much people believed in Santa Clause and magic. If she pointed her watch at someone, the arrow would go to a higher number, or a lower number. Then the last two arrows were to tell the time.  
  
Many people stared at her watch in confusion and asked her where she got it from, but she couldn't tell them. Not many of them believed in Santa anymore anyway, so they wouldn't believe how she got it.  
  
"Vivs!"  
  
"Huh?" Vivs came back from daydreaming with a snap, and saw her partner for her science project standing in front of her. They were in the library, and her partner, Louis, had looked for all the books while Vivs forgot about the whole thing and was just sitting down.  
  
"What happened to you?" he asked.  
  
"Oh, sorry. I got sidetracked." she apologized.  
  
"Well you better start paying attention more often."  
  
"I know, I know!" she said in an annoyed voice, resting her head done on the table. That was when Louis spotted her watch.  
  
"Whoa! Where did you get that?" he exclaimed, grabbing her arm.  
  
"No where." she said, and she snatched her arm away.  
  
"Come on it's just a watch." he said in an obvious voice, then he started looking at it again. "Does it even tell time?"  
  
"Yes." she said, and snatched it away again. "Come on! You told me not to get side tracked!"  
  
"Oh. Yeah. Sorry."  
  
*  
  
July:  
  
Vivs didn't notice how suddenly an arrow on her watch started to rise rapidly. It was summer now, and she was making herself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch. She didn't notice someone from behind her either.  
  
Well, maybe she did, but when she turned around there was no one there.  
  
Bernard reappeared behind her again, and was getting ready to scare her when she looked at her watch and spun around fast with an excited but scared look on her face, which ended up scaring him. She burst out laughing and he smiled.  
  
"Aren't you going to say hi instead of laughing at me?" he said.  
  
"Of course!" she said, giving him a hug. "Everything at the North Pole alright?"  
  
"Indeed." answered the Elf. "The Elves are getting to work again and more riendeer are in training. Sadly though, one of our oldest reindeer died."  
  
"Oh! How awful! It wasn't Comet, was it?"  
  
"No! It was Dasher."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"Yeah." There was a small silence between them, then Vivs said, "So, how's Cannon?"  
  
"He's doing alright. I guess."  
  
Vivs gave him a half wince. "Still afraid of heights?"  
  
"I'm afraid so."  
  
"Oh. What about Curtis?"  
  
Bernard rolled his eyes. "Just being Curtis." Vivs laughed.  
  
"So," he continued. "Birthday coming up soon?"  
  
"Oh yeah I'm so excited! Are you coming?"  
  
"Are you kidding? Of course I am!"  
  
"Yay!" Vivs kissed him again just as the two twins walked in.  
  
"Oh hey, look! Bernard's back!"  
  
"Come play with us!" one of them said, tugging on his shirt.  
  
"Hey!" Vivs said loudly.  
  
"Oh come on. He'll be here on YOUR birthday, why can't we see him now?" one of them complained.  
  
"He's got a point." Bernard whispered.  
  
"No he doesn't." she said quickly. "Can't you get them their OWN elf?"  
  
"That's a great idea!" the elf said, his face brightening. "I'm be right back." Then he was gone.  
  
"Huh?" said Tim.  
  
Then he was back, and he came back with an Elf that Vivs knew was Judy.  
  
"Wow! Can all the Elves come? Can SANTA come?" the both said wildly jumping around with their toys from last Christmas.  
  
"Santa is very busy." said Bernard. "But Judy can stay for a while."  
  
"YAY!!!!!!!!" they screeched and they took their new friends up the stairs.  
  
"Sorry about that." she said apologetically.  
  
"No problem." he said, waving his hand carelessly towards the stairs. Vivs smiled.  
  
*  
  
November:  
  
Dear Santa,  
  
Hi, here's another letter. I KNOW I gave you a letter last week but I forgot something on my list.  
  
I was wondering if maybe, for a big gift to all of us, we could come visit you this Christmas. I keep listening to my Christmas songs and I still haven't lived one of my favorites, called 'Santa Claus Lane." I also think my brothers and my parents would love it. Though you'd need a close eye on the twins. They might be trouble.  
  
Plus, Bernard keeps coming here and I've always wanted to come visit you guys. Do you think it's possible for you to let us come up there soon? I usually go to my Grandmother's house, but she just passed away recently.  
  
Also, I haven't, well, no one in my family has met you yet. Only Bernard and Judy. They don't know what the North Pole looks like either, and I have a feeling they're starting to only half believe in the North Pole and you guys, but I'm not entirely sure. But if you can fit us in, that's really the only thing I want this year. Besides the things on my other list. ;)  
  
Well, hope to hear from you soon!  
  
Vivs  
  
Vivs sealed up her letter and headed outside. It was indeed a windy day. And a cold day. She stepped out in the freezing cold, took in a breath, and threw her letter out off the side of the porch.  
  
*  
  
[I'm going to write a sequel to this soon, of their Christmas at The North Pole. I don't know if I should write it this Christmas, or just start it now. What do you think?]  
  
The Credits:  
  
/Same Old Christmas on Hilary Duff's X-mas cd starts to play/  
  
The Spirit, The Girl, and The Elf: A Fan Story of the 'The Santa Clause' movies  
  
Starring:  
  
Vivs.....................Me! lol Bernard...................Himself (:D ^_^) Santa......................Himself Judy......................Herself Tim......................Jacob Kight (random name) David.....................John Kight (another Random Name) Danille.....................My mom (:)) Danny....................My dad (:)) Cannon.....................Himself  
  
Songs:  
  
Same Old Christmas:  
  
Sung By Hilary Duff on Santa Claus Lane Album  
  
Director: Becky  
  
Producer: Fanfiction.net  
  
Original characters made by the makers of The Santa Clause Movies  
  
Vivs, her family, and Louis created by Becky  
  
PART OF HERMIONEG7 PRODUCTIONS  
  
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH  
  
FANFICTION.NET  
  
Special Thanks:  
  
Everyone for working on the movies.  
  
The actors for making the movie so much better.  
  
Bernard for doing this story even though I made him mad so much in the beginning ;)  
  
Everyone who read this and liked it :)  
  
Sequels:  
  
10 Crazy Ways to Spend Your Holiday Vacation:  
  
PREVIEW:  
  
/One of the E.L.Fs flies around and comes down in front of Tim/  
  
"WHOA!" /Tim exclaims, looking at his brother in excitement.  
  
"Now be careful with that!" Curtis says, trying to stop Tim from touching his newest invention.  
  
/Bernard pats Curtis on the back./ "I think you can handle those two." /he says/  
  
/Sleigh Ride from Hilary Duff's Santa Claus Lane Album starts to play/  
  
/Shows Curtis screaming on a sled down a big hill in the North Pole and Tim and David giving each other high fives after they pushed him down the hill./  
  
"Oh look! It's Rudolph!" /Vivs says happily, petting a reindeer. Bernard is standing behind her./  
  
"Now this, is where all the elves make their toys." Santa says, giving the family a tour for the North Pole. The family stares in amazement around the place, and the music suddenly stops./  
  
"Whoa." /Vivs says. Music starts up again./  
  
"Those kids did this to me!" Curtis says angrily as he walks in, covered in snow./  
  
"No we didn't." they say innocently, then they give Curtis big fake smiles when they get away with it./  
  
"Curtis." Bernard says, pointing a finger at him./ "Your 910. They're 6. You can handle them!"  
  
"Seven." said Tim, with a smile on his face./  
  
"Right, right. Seven." Bernard corrects./  
  
10 CRAZY WAYS TO SPEND YOUR HOLIDAY VACATION  
  
A HERMIONEG7 PRODUCTION  
  
/Shows Vivs staring at The Tooth Fairy in amazement./  
  
"Oh my gosh! It's the Tooth Fairy!" she says excitedly. Her mom and dad exchange weird glances./  
  
COMING SOON  
  
RATED PG/  
  
So, did you like my homemade trailer? :D I put them at the end of most of the fanfics I actually finish. lol! I really liked how they did The Tooth Fairy in the movie and he's one of my favorite characters so he's gotta be in the sequel lol! :) That's why Vivs is so excited to see him lol! Well, tell me what you think in a review! :) 


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